My attempts at homemaking went awry this afternoon. For some reason unbeknownst to science, I spent most of yesterday moping for our lost internet connection. I therefore resolved to spend today busy so I wouldn't have time to mope. My plan worked well in the morning: I got a load of diapers washed and out on the line. (The depressing thing about the laundry was that there seems to be a disgusting mould growing on some of Blake's clothing and I can't shift it. I've washed the ravaged shirts twice already & soaked them with CHOMP, but the only thing that's helped even a little is a full afternoon of strong sunlight. That's what I get for not washing his damp, food-stained clothes for 2 weeks, I suppose.)

Once I hit the kitchen, a jinx settled over my fine plans. It started out promisingly: Blake happily played on the floor while I washed, scraped & chopped carrots & parsnips. The first batch steamed up nicely. But I didn't bother to add more water to the pot for the second round, and as I was trying futilely to puree the first batch, the second batch boiled dry. A horrible stench filled the kitchen, a deep & abiding smell untouched by fans & open windows. I had to throw away the stinky carrots and attack the pot with baking soda & vinegar, lest I ruin my mother's cookware. The only good thing about this episode was that Blake was napping at the time, and I could run around cursing like a longshoreman without fear of hearing it all come back to me on the first day of kindergarten.

After I finally got the first batch as pureed as possible (there HAS to be an easier way!), I left the kitchen alone for awhile. The afternoon ground on, and I realized that since my mom was out for the night, it was up to me to feed myself, my father, my baby & my husband. I decided to make lentils & rice for dinner, but first the ingredients had to be bought. Once my dad returned, it was almost time for Blake to go to bed; I hurried through the prep and miscalculated the amount of water necessary. 30 minutes later, I was downstairs nursing Blake to sleep & dinner had burnt to the bottom of the pot. And still I thought everything was salvageable, as both my dad & the Boy had started to eat. But it was completely inedible - both undercooked and overcooked at the same time, a feat I would've thought impossible if I hadn't tasted it myself. So at the end of it all, the hungriest person there went unfed.

Don't feel too bad; I sulked so much that the Boy took pity on me & drove off for some takeout. I may be the kitchen's bitch, but I did finish the day with a chocolate milkshake.

Yesterday was Blake's 9-month doctor appointment. He's doing excellently (of course), and my doctor didn't have much to say in terms of medical advice (although she did tell me to get the chickenpox vaccine, which I considered for all of 3 seconds before refusing). Most of our visit was made up of Blake resisting every test and the doctor dispensing superfluous advice.

I don't mean to give you the wrong impression of our doctor. She's a hard woman, but she's sensible. I trust her diagnoses and I trust her prescriptions. I just don't trust her parenting advice. She always wants to know how Blake is sleeping, and she's always proposing ways to "improve" his sleeping, from water bottles to letting him cry it out. None of these tactics have anything to do his health, and while I don't think it will permanently damage him to cry all night, I can't bring myself to do it on a doctor's advice. It's all very well for her to lay down the law, but she's not the one who sleeps in the room with him.

I wonder. As we left, I thought, I'll lie to her next time, pretend I'm leaving Blake alone at night. But what on earth will that solve? I've tried lying to medical professionals before, and after 6 rounds of "no, I really AM flossing!" I gave it up as a mug's game. Why do I need to lie?

I suppose that I can take some solace in the fact that she snorted derisively when I told her what my grandmother said.

"Yeah. I don't think it's necessary to test your milk."

Finally, a recommendation I can live with!

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- Rocketbride's adventure of 9/10/2004 07:02:00 p.m.